If you and your spouse still think in terms of "my money" and "your money," we need to talk. This one's a little personal for us — in Episode 108 of the Marriage Puzzle podcast, we got into one of the biggest wedges we see in marriages: how couples handle their finances. Here's the thought experiment we like to use to shake people out of autopilot. The "Whose Car Is It?" Test Imagine you and your spouse split every bill proportionally based on income. You make more, you cover

This is from Episode 107, and it might be one of the most important ones we've recorded — not because we found some deep theological insight, but because our seven-year-old accidentally handed it to us at bedtime. If you've got kids, you know bedtime is basically a negotiation. Ours is a master of the "one more thing" stall tactic — she can reel you back in from the doorway with the skill of a seasoned salesperson. On this particular night, Juli was the one finishing up the r

If you caught Episode 106 of Marriage Puzzle, you know we cracked open a topic most couples whisper about but rarely talk through out loud: pornography, solo intimacy, and where the line actually sits inside a Christian marriage. This is Part 2 — three more of your questions, answered as honestly as we know how. (If you missed either episode. Listen here.) We're not writing this as experts looking down at anyone. We're writing it as two people who've had these exact conversat

Few topics stir up more tension — and more silence — in a marriage than pornography and solo intimacy. Is it cheating? Is it harmless? Is it different for men than it is for women? These are the questions couples whisper about but rarely say out loud, and they deserve honest, unfiltered answers instead of the awkward silence most marriages default to. Here's where we land on it, and why. (Check out episode 105 of the Marriage Puzzle Podcast on this topic here.) Is Pornography

When you walk through the front door after work, what do you need most? A hug and a conversation? Or ten quiet minutes to decompress? If you and your spouse have ever argued within the first 30 minutes of seeing each other after a long day, you may not have a communication problem at all—you may simply have different attachment needs. In episode 104 of the Marriage Puzzle podcast, Thomas and Juli answer a listener's question about what happens when one spouse craves immediate

What if one of the most powerful tools for strengthening your marriage wasn't expensive, time-consuming, or complicated? What if it was simply your words? The way you talk about your spouse—both to them and about them—has the power to either strengthen your relationship or slowly tear it apart. Every marriage experiences frustrations. No spouse is perfect. But healthy marriages often share one common trait: spouses who intentionally speak life into one another rather than tea

Have you ever looked at your spouse and thought, "How do they not see everything I'm carrying?" If so, you're not alone. Many marriage conflicts aren't really about dishes, laundry, or forgotten coffee cups. Beneath those everyday frustrations often lies something much deeper: the invisible load. It's the mental and emotional labor of running a home—the planning, remembering, organizing, anticipating, and managing that often goes unnoticed. And when that load goes unseen for

We spend thousands of hours at work throughout our lives. We celebrate wins, navigate stress, solve problems, and build relationships with coworkers. But what happens when a workplace friendship becomes something more? Terms like "work husband" and "work wife" are often tossed around as harmless jokes. Yet behind the humor lies an important question: Can an innocent workplace friendship slowly become an emotional affair? The answer may be more complicated than most couples re

Life gets busy. Careers shift. Kids need attention. Unexpected challenges arise. And before long, even healthy marriages can drift into survival mode. After nearly 20 years of marriage, four kids, major life transitions, and an 18-month break from their podcast, Thomas and Juli discussed an important truth on Episode 99 of the Marriage Puzzle Podcast: Strong marriages aren’t built on grand gestures—they’re built on intentional rhythms. If your relationship feels disconnected

In the latest episode of the Marriage Puzzle Podcast, Thomas and I dive into the final chapter of From This Day Forward by Craig and Amy Groeschel, exploring the theme of "Never Give Up." As marriage coaches, we're passionate about helping couples transform their relationships by addressing key areas like money, intimacy, and communication. This episode is a deeply personal journey into the commitment required to sustain a marriage through life's inevitable ups and downs. At

In our latest episode of the Marriage Puzzle podcast, we (Juli and Thomas Hobby) dive into the crucial topic of faithfulness and protection in marriage, drawing insights from Craig and Amy Groeschel's book, "From This Day Forward". This episode is packed with practical advice for couples who want to strengthen their relationship and navigate the complexities of modern marriage. We talk about the importance of daily commitment to your spouse, which we liken to the concept in t

Navigating the complexities of marriage can often feel like solving a puzzle, especially when it comes to handling conflicts. In our latest podcast episode, we delve into the insightful book "From This Day Forward" by Craig and Amy Groeschel, focusing on the chapter about "Fighting Fair." This episode is a treasure trove for couples seeking to transform their approach to disagreements and strengthen their bond. We begin by revisiting the importance of seeking God first in you

What is better for married couples, keeping money separate or combining together?

Our go to piece of marriage advice is...

So how is YOUR “Then and Now”? Take another #throwbackthursday or #flashbackfriday to remember why you set out on your marriage adventure.

Let's make September a month about sex. Not to have sex every day, but dedicating the month to make your sex life better with your spouse.

Discover how being too busy can lead to burnout and how it can impact your marriage and find out how you can change and work toward balance.

Today is the due date of Destiny Faith, my daughter that I never got to hold in my arms but hold in my heart everyday. My husband and I have three other healthy children, and our desire is to have a fourth sometime in the near future. We never imagined pregnancy loss as one of the puzzle pieces we’d have to turn over in life … especially more than once … but when we lost Destiny in December 2020 and then experienced another miscarriage just last month, what seemed easy for us

4 practical ways you can start investing in your marriage for the long term TODAY

Three things we have established for our marriage morning moments…